if you think your business and your personal life should be separate, you’re probably right, but not %100. there’s a balance and a line to be drawn certainly but i believe it’s a little different for everyone and unintelligent to never let people know you’re human after all.
adding personality and personal insight to your business draws people to you, builds trust, likability, and interest. there’s an intriguing psychological game at play though, make sure to keep a few rules and you can use who you are as an advantage to building your business, don’t get personal at all, and you’re subject to how people like the pixels in your logo, get drawn in by your persuasive text, or need what you’re selling for basic life functions. unless you sell toilet paper, it’s to your advantage to have personality.
here’s my experience
i’ve seen sharing who i am invite people i’d never have talked with to ask me more about what i do, and then buy from me.
3 ways this improves business & what it does to people’s brains
people see passion, see the real you, and validation for your sales crap
when you post how excited you are about the upcoming convention about whatever, or company X just released a product. people realize how well you know your stuff, they see passion in that picture you posted of you taking apart an iPhone for your cousin over the weekend and a silent trust is established right there. point, you.
people see similarities to themselves, trust, and buy motivation
everyone has a family, goes through trauma, attends big events, or has interests. sharing these will build similarities to you and your buyers. it’s innate that people who identify with other people buy more of what is recommended to them, or put out by them.
oh tim ferriss how you’re life intrigues me, it’s no wonder i bought 40 copies of his last book and then sold them to the very audience of this blog.
people see accessibility/connectedness…and an opening to get involved
when i am viewing a businesses website or walking into a business, the owner or management often appear as though they are powerful beings pulling the strings that only come out for problems if at all. i don’t feel connected to a person at all, i look at their wares and website, make a mechanical decision and get out. i don’t ask questions, or linger.
the personal connectedness you get when you feel even just a little “in” someones life, which is something easily done today, creates an environment where i think, “well sure he’ll respond to me, i mean look at him, he eats ice cream with his kids and run’s triathlons, i run triathlons…”
how to & cautions
persona
you’re a celebrity now, or at least a business owner, so you’re in some sort of light where people will be analyzing you. act like it, and play by google’s rules and assume everything you share, someone will read or see…so be smart about it. this means stay off Facebook while drinking, amongst other things. be who you are, but leave extremely opinionated thoughts to personal conversation, where i believe it should stay anyway as it does the most to build real relationship. we need more real relationships these days.
access & timing
sharing your mistakes when you’re in control of what get’s presented is ok, trust building even, make sure it’s on platforms that you manage. alluding to crazy experiences or behavior is fine, but mostly when it’s in the past. it’s alright that i’ve rap battled with my friends, done the milk challenge, and have completed a 360 degree trampoline moon bounce. announcing “OMG, i will be doing these things soon” may reflect poorly with potential buyers who somehow find themselves on your instagram stream or something.
i see ashley from the middle finger project do this well.
ratio
absolutely share about family, big events, aspirations, and interests…but do so sparingly. try a 1 (personal) to 8 ratio on posts that are about others, promoting others, and about your niche. this is influenced by chris brogan and his co-authored book, trust agents.
how?
Facebook and Twitter mostly. there is a share button on every freaking site today, this is a non-issue. using them effectively is what to focus on. (see cautions)
what to share?
sometimes it doesn’t matter here are some ideas.
- big moments in your life, with pictures.
- events/conventions/meetups in your niche you’re thinking about.
- case studies about what you are working on.
- the research you do in solving problems or building products.
personal experience. sharing my wedding photos has been one of the biggest things for my business surprisingly. wedding pictures are just one of those things everyone loves to look at, for some reason as they gloss over these pictures something sticks, and i get an e-mail that goes, wow those pictures were awesome, hey i need some website bla bla, or i saw you’re selling so and so…and then there’s the sales that are hard to attribute, but i can’t argue with there increased happening and have to think people just picked up on me because they liked some pictures, then read a blog post, then saw a testimonial.
*obvious but important point, it’s great to share just to share, but in this context we want to build relationship so our business is also present in someway. IE. have a business, have a product, have a goal. if you can’t answer to those things, go back a few steps and worry about that first.
who does it well?
you know who i’ve seen do this amazingly well, and always gets a ton of interaction, pamela slim author of cubicle nation. friend her on Facebook and see what i mean. i’ve read more about her kids, and subsequently more about those she recommends in business than many others in my steams of incoming content. i seriously pay more specific attention to jenny blake and charlie gilkey (as in writing their name from memory) because of her.
runner up in this for me is cath duncan and pat flynn.
3 things you didn’t know about me
i have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. i’m in the middle.
i’ve had 8 knee surgeries. 7 on the left, 1 on the right.
i love to vacuum and i just bought a dyson animal
can any of you relate to those things?
sharing bits of who you are in the business realm is very much part of emerging business models and methods. it’s not necessary by any means, and there are more traditional methods that don’t ever show a face to a business, but having one certainly helps build a bridge for sales and authenticity, even if it’s in a small tucked away part of your website. what do you think? what’s your experience?
be careful of overdoing it, think tactical, but don’t be afraid to be personal. keep workin it.